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Higher health costs, lost production found first year after traumatic hand, arm injuries
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The cost of health care and lost production remain higher for men with traumatic arm and hand injuries during their first year after injury, despite improved work environments in recent decades, according to Swedish researchers.
“We conclude that hand injuries at work were most costly both in terms of health care and costs of lost production,” the researchers wrote in the study. “This finding is interesting since the severity of work-related injuries did not differ from injuries occurring at home or during leisure and also in view of the fact that work environments have constantly improved over the last decades.”
The researchers analyzed the rehabilitation for 45 men with severe or major injuries for a 1-year period. Included in the study were 18 patients with complex injuries, 13 patients with amputations, 13 patients with major nerve or full house injuries, and 1 patient with a burn injury.
Trauma patients injured at work had total health care and lost production costs 34% higher than other groups. Overall, patients who were older than 50 years, who were injured at work and who were only partially active in the labor market prior to injury had higher costs compared with other groups, according to the abstract. Longer sick leave was associated with patients with major injuries, while patients with severe injuries were more likely to return to work.
Disclosure: The authors have no relevant financial disclosures.
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